Seeing Red
by CrossChord
Summary: A young James Ironwood has just finished his military training when he meets a familiar team on the streets of Atlas, and falls for one of it's members.


A/N: So...yeah. This pairing happened. I was having a conversation with WinterBranwen on Tumblr about crack pairings and I said, "What if the tables were turned, and Ironwood, a soldier, met Qrow's sister, Raven?" Then the idea would not go away.

This probably won't be my best work, but hey, maybe someone else will enjoy this as well.

* * *

James Ironwood didn't know what had hit him.

Literally.

He had been making his way through the busy streets of Atlas, when he heard yelling, followed by the sound of running footsteps.

"Hey, watch out!"

James turned towards the sound of the voice, only to be met with something soft, yet solid, hitting him straight on.

He remembered an outstretched hand just barely grasping his, but the grip wasn't strong enough. His fingers slipped through and he fell backwards, the back of his head meeting the hard concrete of the sidewalk with a loud " _THUNK!"_

Suddenly, darkness.

" _-ey….hey, are you all right? Should we call an ambulance?"_

" _Nah, I think he's coming to. Seems these Atlas military guys are stronger than they look."_

A splitting headache greeted James as he slowly opened his eyes and tried to make out the scene around him. Blinking a few times, he could just make out the blurred outline of someone kneeling next to him.

"How many fingers am I holding up?"

Judging by the voice, the person trying to help him was female, but James couldn't make out more than that. He rubbed his eyes in an attempt to clear them, squinted, and could just see the hand in front of his face.

"...Three?"

"Do you know where you are?"

"Atlas."

The figure shifted and turned to someone behind her. "See, I told you he's fine. Now, let's get him up."

With a slight groan of pain, James slowly sat up, now aware of the small crowd surrounding him. The young woman kneeling next to him supported him, an arm wrapped around his shoulders, and the pain in his head was starting to subside, leaving James with only a dull throb.

"Thank you." Now that his vision was almost clear, James turned to get a better look at the person who had helped him up and barely bit back a gasp. He found himself staring into a pair of large red eyes, the face framed by a mass of long black hair. As he blinked a few more times, James looked past the young woman to the three companions that were accompanying her.

There was a short young woman wearing a cape, a tall blonde young man watching the exchange with a small frown, and next to him was another young man with dark hair glaring as the young woman helped James stand up. What caused them to stand out among the Atlas citizens now walking away from the scene was the fact they were wearing unfamiliar school uniforms.

James racked his brain and tried to figure out where they were from. "...Beacon Academy, correct?" He asked as he rubbed the back of his head, trying to feel for a contusion.

"Yes, we're second year students, here for the festival." Slender fingers pushed his hand away and ran through his hair, checking for any injuries. James swallowed and tried not to let the woman's touch get to him. After a few seconds, he reached behind him and took her hand, pulling it away.

"I'm fine, thanks." He cleared his throat and tried not to look like he was checking the young woman out. James couldn't help but notice her slim figure and flawless skin, and long legs covered by a pair of thigh highs. However, it was her hair that fascinated him the most, the black locks thick and curly.

A few moments passed and he racked his brain for something to say. "I'm James, by the way."

"Raven." Turning to the group with her, Raven pointed to each member as she introduced them. "These are my teammates. That's Summer, our leader, Taiyang, and my brother, Qrow."

"Are we done here?" asked Qrow in an impatient voice, his arms crossed over his chest.

Raven shot her brother a sharp look and turned back to James. Now that the crisis had passed, she was able to let her eyes roam over him, studying his appearance.

The first thing Raven noticed was that James was tall, taller than Qrow and Taiyang, which was nice. It wasn't often she met a man that she could literally look up to. Next was his eyes, a striking color of blue, with black hair that fell over his forehead. Raven had to resist the temptation to brush it from his eyes.

The military uniform James wore fit him well, the outfit well-tailored. Raven wondered what he would look like civilian clothes and was disappointed she wouldn't have the chance to find out. "I guess we should get going. It was nice meeting you, considering the circumstances," she said with a smile.

"Wait." James paused for a moment, trying to figure out what to say next. "Do….you want to get lunch? I should thank you for helping me out."

A confused look crossed James' face as Raven laughed. "I should be the one to buy you lunch, to apologize for knocking you down."

James smiled and started to walk towards the festival grounds, still holding Raven's hand. "I insist."

A part of her knew she should pull her hand away, that this guy was a stranger, and she should say goodbye and go their separate ways. Yet, Raven enjoyed the feel of her hand inside of his, how his fingers curled around her palm and led her down the sidewalk. She colored slightly when she thought about how his hands would feel on other parts of her body.

Raven pushed that thought out of her head and glanced up at James, who was giving her an expectant look as he waited for her answer. "Fine. You pay. It's not often a handsome soldier asks a girl like me out on a date."

James could feel a blush creep up into his cheeks as he looked down at Raven, surprised at her comment. "Is that what this is? A date?"

Raven smirked and gave him a sly look. "I guess it is."


End file.
